


Salad Days The Holiday Angst Version

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [972]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-09 04:29:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12880203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Something weird is going on and Gibbs doesn't like it one bit, so he confronts Tony.





	Salad Days The Holiday Angst Version

**Author's Note:**

> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 12/28/2001 for the word [salad days](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2001/12/28/salad%20days).
> 
> salad days  
> A time of youthful inexperience, innocence, or indiscretion.
> 
> I'm doing a series based around the [Happy Holidays Challenge](http://ncis-discuss.livejournal.com/98471.html). I'm afraid it starts out angsty, but I promise it will have a happy ending.
> 
> This is for the [2017 Happy Holidays Challenge - Dec 1: Hot Chocolate](https://ncis-discuss.livejournal.com/99050.html) theme. 
> 
> Also, you get this word twice because I had planned this for my first happy holidays challenge post which could only be posted on 12/1, but muse didn't want to miss a day, so she did this word twice. Enjoy!
> 
> As always comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.

# 

Salad Days The Holiday Angst Version

# 

Day 1: Hot chocolate

Something weird was going on and Gibbs didn't like it one bit. Of course, getting a call at midnight about a dead sailor hadn't made his starting mood pleasant to begin with. His mood grew increasingly worse with every cup of hot chocolate DiNozzo was handed, however.

It started shortly after they arrived at the crime scene with Kort bringing a 16 oz. hot chocolate. Tony gave Kort a short and perfunctory kiss before thanking him and sending him on his way. Gibbs, never overly fond of Kort, glared the whole time he was there and was glad when he was gone.

It didn’t stop there though. About 2 hours in, when they were getting close to wrapping up the crime scene, Fornell stopped by with hot chocolate for DiNozzo. As they were basically finished, Fornell waited until everyone was headed back to NCIS to give DiNozzo his hot chocolate. Tony waved the others to head over without him. “I’ll catch a ride with Fornell.”

Gibbs turned his glare from Fornell to DiNozzo at that statement. Tony just shrugged looking a bit sheepish and climbed into Fornell’s FBI van. Fornell smirked at Gibbs, getting into the van himself and driving off. Gibbs stormed over to the NCIS vehicles and growled at everyone to get in.

Jimmy and Ducky had already headed back, but McGee and Bishop climbed into the NCIS van and quickly strapped themselves in. They knew based on Gibbs' mood that they would be going from 0 to 60 mph in less than a second. Sure enough, before they were even strapped in, Gibbs had taken off after Fornell as quickly as he could.

Arriving at NCIS, Gibbs stormed into the bullpen to see Tony seated at his desk with his new hot chocolate and Fornell nowhere to be seen. “What the hell was that, DiNozzo?”

“Sorry, Boss. Fornell had something he needed to discuss with me.”

Gibbs growled, but left it alone for now. 

When Balboa showed up a few hours later with more hot chocolate for DiNozzo. Gibbs knew something was going on for sure. This was not normal behavior. “DiNozzo, my office. Now!”

Tony scrambled out of his chair, giving Balboa a bemused look as he followed Gibbs to the elevator.

“What the hell is going on, DiNozzo?” Gibbs barked, after the elevator doors closed and he flipped the emergency stop switch.

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific than that, Boss.”

“With the hot chocolate. First Kort, then Fornell, and now even Balboa is getting in on it. Are you sleeping with all of them or something?” Gibbs growled.

Tony aimed his own glare at Gibbs. “You have no right to ask me that question. Though, for the record, I’m not sleeping with any of them. I’m insulted that you think I have to sleep with someone for them to do something nice for me.”

“Then why” Gibbs started.

Tony cut him off, giving Gibbs a menacing look. “I’d think very carefully, if I were you, before you finish that sentence.”

Gibbs closed his mouth, certain now that something more than what he saw was going on. It was true. He didn’t have the right to question Tony’s dalliances or partners anymore. He’d given up that right years ago when they’d split up and stopped having a relationship, shortly before Gibbs had gone off to Mexico.

That didn’t mean Gibbs was happy about not being in Tony’s life anymore. He missed the closeness they shared. He missed Tony showing up on his basement step and just prattling away about whatever came into his mind.

Still if he wanted to find out what was really going on, he’d have to tread very carefully. He’d already insulted Tony once. If he did it again, he knew Tony would clam up and refuse to tell him anything.

“Is there something I should be aware of, here, DiNozzo? Not as your boss, but as your friend?” Gibbs finally bit out, trying for civility, and coming off as constipated instead.

“Are you, my friend, Jethro?” Tony asked archly.

“Yes.” Gibbs spat out harshly. “Whatever else has gone on between us, I’m still your friend, Tony.”

“You might want to consider showing that instead of simply telling me that, Gibbs.” Tony muttered, mostly to himself, before continuing in a louder voice in answer to what Gibbs really wanted to know. “To answer your question, I’d been busy even before we got called in. They all asked me for favors which kept me up most of the night, so when they heard that we’d been called in, they apparently decided to take it upon themselves to make sure I was supplied in my drug of choice, hot chocolate.” 

Gibbs grunted, not entirely happy with the explanation, but it would have to do for now. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, Gibbs.” Tony smiled softly, touched by the concern.

“In my salad days, no one would dare ask for help from someone outside of their team let alone outside of their agency unless they were already involved.” Gibbs frowned. “Don’t let them overwork you. We need you, too.”

“I know. I won’t.” Tony smiled at Gibbs again, recognizing that that was as close to admitting that Gibbs cared about Tony beyond just the job as he was going to get from Gibbs. This wall Gibbs kept between them was the main reason that Tony hadn’t tried for a relationship with Gibbs again even though Tony still loved him. 

The jealousy Gibbs displayed was an indication that Gibbs wasn’t really over Tony either, but Tony needed more than that if he were to ever choose to enter into a relationship with Gibbs again. Though he couldn’t help wondering if this was a sign that Gibbs might be ready to make the needed changes. Tony could only watch and hope though. He couldn’t force Gibbs to change if he didn’t want to.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I'm looking for a writing buddy. Full details are [here](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/53610.html). It is friends locked, so you'll have to add me as a friend on lj before you can read it. 
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them.
> 
>  **Warning! Warning! 2017 ends in only a month! When 2017 ends, the 2017 prompt collection will close.** You have 50 prompts you can use for 2017. Use them up before they go away. Prompts are currently open. If you'd like to prompt me, please do so [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCIS_Prompts_2017/profile). Note you have to be an ao3 member to do this. 
> 
> When 2018 starts, I will open a 2018 Prompt collection. In fact, I have already created the 2018 Prompt collection [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile), but sign ups are closed until 2018, so you won't be able to sign up and prompt me on this collection, yet. The 2017 prompts continue to remain over for you to prompt me with until the end of the year.
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes.
> 
> Feel free to leave feedback here if you think something could be improved(either in the prompt process or the story itself).


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